Selection of the site Due to the lack of space in the campus at Paco, the transfer of De La Salle College to Taft Avenue was decided. The new site in
Malate, worth ₱55,500 (US$1,270), The cornerstone was laid by
Manila Archbishop Michael J. O'Doherty on March 19, 1920. On the same day, the Paco site was sold under the condition that the school is allowed to continue operation for 18 months before completely moving to the Taft campus. An amount of ₱260,000 (US$6,020) On February 22, 1922, only the first floor and half of the second floor were finished while the rest of the building was still uncompleted due to exhaustion of funds. The building was finally completed on December 15, 1924. Meanwhile, the chapel was completed on November 17, 1939, and was
dedicated to
Saint Joseph.
World War II The building sustained heavy damages during
World War II. Numerous civilians took refuge in the building for protection. It was under shell fire for almost a week.
Japanese forces took possession of the building, and transformed it into a headquarters. Sixteen Brothers and 25 other civilians were
massacred by Japanese troops inside the school chapel on February 12, 1945.
21st century Retrofitting of the building started in January 2011, and was completed by 2012. In September 2024, the building was declared an
important cultural property by the
National Museum of the Philippines. The facade is equipped with colored lighting and a projection system, which De La Salle University uses to highlight events, commemorations, holidays, and advocacies throughout the year. ==Architectural details==